Echo (episode)
"Echo" is the second episode of Dollhouse, and it was written and directed by Joss Whedon. "Echo" was the first episode written and shot, but it was pushed back by Whedon to become the second episode because of "a few clarity issues for some viewers" and "also some slight issues with tone". He described this move by being his choice, not the network's: "I sort of go, hmmm, some of it I think maybe they didn’t get, and some of it, you know what, I didn’t deliver on it in the way that I should have." Whedon also said: "I looked at it with a very cold eye, an executive’s eye, and said, 'OK, I know what they want that they don’t have.' I don’t want to gut this pilot episode. I’m proud of this episode. Everybody did a really good job. There are scenes I want to tweak and changes I want to make, but if I go to the network and say, 'I’m going to give you a new first episode,' they will be excited – they didn’t have to ask for it."test On May 15th 2008 a trailer containing parts of "Echo" was shown at the Fox-Upfronts, and consequently leaked on the internet. Another clip from "Echo", showing a Dialogue between Echo and Paul Ballard, also leaked around that time. Both clips can now be found on the official Fox-Channel on Youtube. Synopsis When FBI Agent Paul Ballard gets ahold of a picture showing Echo, one of the Dolls, Adelle's operation is in danger of being exposed. In the meantime, Echo is starting to show signs of self-consciousness, which Adelle considers "spectacularly unacceptable". Writing Whedon pitched Dollhouse to Fox two weeks before the 2007-2008 WGA strike and got a seven-episode order without even having begun to write a pilot episode.Q & A with Joss Whedon, writer, producer and director After the strike ended, Whedon started working on the script and casting sides.Industry awakes, plays catch-up Some of these casting sides leaked on the internet in March 2008Dollhouse - Casting Sides. The script is 53 pages long, divided into four acts (14, 15, 13 and 11 pages).Joss Whedon Strikes Again Production fnFdtn1YBM4 Production began on April 23rd, 2008After 5 years, Joss Whedon is back on his own TV set with principal photography taking place from May 6th to May, 12thEcho wraps filming. Reshoots at the behest of Fox were made in JuneFilming on Dollhouse Pilot Not Quite a Wrap, with four of the seven days of shooting being reshot. These reshoots may be connected to the fact that "Echo" was pushed back to become the second episode of the series instead of the first as originally intended. Reception Script Reviews of the pilot script started showing up by the end of April 2008. Generally praised by critics, the script was particularly applauded for the "change of pace", considering "Echo" has a four-acts structure without a teaser.Joss and Four Acts Part Deux This being unusual both for TV standards and Joss Whedon - together with the fact that the four acts are almost equal in length - was applauded, as "Whedon doesn’t have to force the drama up into unnatural cliffhanging pre-commercial moments"Joss and Four Acts and "the story has the room to unfold in a natural manner, not trying to hit more artificial breaks"Dollhouse: Wordly Goodness. General reviews called the script "fabulous"test, "thought provoking"test, "rad"Exclusive Pilot Details: Welcome to the Dollhouse!, "super-sexy"Joss Whedon's Dollhouse Script Review, and "a beautiful enigma wrapped in a riddle, a gripping conspiracy story for the ages filled with urban legends, memory tampering, and long-buried secrets coming to the fore"Playing with Dolls: An Advance Look at Joss Whedon's "Dollhouse" Pilot Script. The script "builds into a mystery that's as much philosophical as science fiction"Straight From the Script: 'Fringe' and 'Dollhouse' and "mixes elements of the conspiracy thriller with what threatens to become a profound meditation on identity"test. It was also pointed out that "this could be Whedon's most accessible work to date" and "much more than preaching to the converted".The Futon's First Look: FOX's "Dollhouse" (Plus ABC's "Cedric") Episode First reviews of the episode call it a "solid opener" with "huge potential for fun (...) which people aren't yet aware of -- and heartbreak people aren't expecting".Echo - Dollhouse Episode One Preview Cast Recurring characters Dr. Claire Saunders (played by Amy Acker) and November (played by Miracle Laurie) don't appear in "Echo". Main cast *Eliza Dushku as Echo *Olivia Williams as Adelle DeWitt *Tahmoh Penikett as Paul Ballard *Harry Lennix as Boyd Langton *Fran Kranz as Topher Brink *Dichen Lachman as Sierra *Enver Gjokaj as Victor Supporting cast *Maury Sterling as Eddie *Raphael Sbarge as Richard *Reed Diamond as Laurence Dominic *Stacey Scowley as Bride *Clayton Rohner as Marc Dreyfuss *Aisha Hinds as Loomis *Giovanni Lopes as Thug *Jenni Fontana as Friend References External links *"Echo" at the IMDb *"Echo" at TV.com Category:Episodes